How to create a successful TikTok strategy for brands?
When we installed TikTok at the beginning of 2020 with the intention of "just taking a look" at what is happening there and what the challenges are that everyone is talking about, we could not have imagined that three years later we would be making strategies for presenting brands on this social network. This, of course, is not unexpected: marketing is where the people are, that is, our target group. Right now, chances are high that I'm your target group right on TikTok. But before we even get into creating a strategy that will bring success to your brand, we need to be aware that TikTok is much more than a social network. TikTok is actually a new way of communicating that, as such, has really changed not only the content format but also the way it is consumed by the audience.
We dispel myths
Speaking of the audience… No, TikTok isn't just for kids. In fact, only 32% of users are kids (10-19 years old). The remaining 68% are users aged 20 to 29 (30%), 30-39 (17%), 40-49 (14%), and 50+ (7%). These data tell us that the majority of the audience on this social network is made up of people who manage their own finances, that is, people who are independent decision-makers. And that's what we need! When it comes to gender, 60% of TikTok users are female and 40% are male.*
* Source: WALLAROO
It is true that Facebook is still the leader in the number of active monthly users in the world (2.9 billion). However, the following information is much more important to us. Instagram, which is considered the most popular social network for the 25 to 45-year-old audience, has 1.4 billion monthly active users, and TikTok, with its 1.1 billion active users is seriously threatening not only to approach it but to overtake it and threaten Facebook. At first, this was just an optimistic view, but today it is a reality. Still wondering if your brand belongs on TikTok? It absolutely does! Research shows that in Serbia, as much as a quarter of the population has an open TikTok account, and it is estimated that this platform has more than one million active users per month, while in the region that number exceeds three million. Also, every third internet user is a TikTok visitor or consumes its content, regardless of whether they have an account on it or not. So, should we start that TikTok profile? Let's start!
So that we can help you - we did the research
Before we started helping brands create a successful TikTok strategy, we did some research. We made a selection of 50 brand profiles and the 50 most famous TikTokers in the world, and then analyzed the top 10 videos from each of them. And not only that! We also analyzed 10 TikTok courses worth from 10 to 1000 EUR in order to draw all the conclusions that we bring to you in the following text.
What does the structure of a viral video look like?
To begin with, there is the "bait." This part of the video lasts up to 3 seconds, and its purpose is to attract attention and keep the viewer engaged. So it must be extremely good! But before we explain this segment in detail, it is important to note the following: Bait is the most important part of the structure of any video. We stopped fighting for attention with our competition a long time ago. At the moment, our competition is everyone who creates content on social networks because they all "steal" the attention of users. That is why it is extremely important that we are the ones who will attract users.
The bait must be clear and short—three to five words. It can be directed towards specific problems/ niches, or it can be formulated as a general bait. The biggest problem that many people face in the beginning is that they target narrow target groups in smaller markets. Let's imagine that you are engaged in the production of biscuits intended for people who want to eat healthily in Serbia, in a market of 6 million inhabitants, of which 10-20% are on the TikTok network and of which 1% are interested in our product. It would be natural to address only them, however, this is not the case now. In order for your video to go viral, you need to have a bait that appeals to everyone!
The reason is simple: in small markets, members of narrow target groups are not positioned on one social network, but are everywhere. If you only address them, that message will not reach most of them organically, which means that you will have average results (views, likes). However, if you address everyone, there will be a "spillover" effect, which implies that those who do not belong to that target group, because of the interesting information, share this content with those who need it but also consider joining that group. This leads to great organic results.
In larger markets, you can address a specific problem. And here, the reason is simple. Let's take the United States market as an example. There are 300 million people in this market, of which 100 million are on the TikTok network, of whom, for example, a million are interested in healthy eating. If we are addressing a narrow target group here, we can expect quite solid results. On the other hand, if we also use the rule of addressing a wider target group here, we can achieve even more incredible results.
The lure can also be verbal or non-verbal. This means that you don't always have to have a specific sentence at the beginning of your video to attract users. You can also use non-verbal communication. Thus, at the beginning of the video, you can highlight unusual objects, emotions, events, or anything else that can cause curiosity in the user. After that, you can start with storytelling and introduce the user to a deeper explanation.
The second segment of the video is about the process during which you fulfill what you promised at the beginning - why you? The last 3 to 5 seconds are reserved for the "call to action," that is, an invitation to the viewers to do something. This doesn't necessarily have to be a call to buy your product directly, but it can be a call to follow your profile so they don't miss more interesting and useful content. Keep in mind that the call to action must be seen somewhere: at the end of the video or through the copy. A large number of users watch a video but do not know what to do at the end of that video. That's why it's important to help them and guide them to the metrics that matter to us.
3 types of content for brands
Creating interesting and useful content can be challenging for a brand. What exactly is it to record that TikTok users want to follow on a regular basis? You can always start with educational content. Provide value to your audience: give them specific advice for solving a particular problem, point out the most common mistakes, dispel myths, and discover tricks that make everyday life easier. Let your audience find inspiration in you. Present them with inspiring stories, show examples of good practices, motivate them to get started, and achieve a goal. Finally, try to allow your audience to identify with you and your brand through your content. Various skits are a great way to do this, and the goal of this type of content is to get the audience to recognize themselves because they see themselves as the main character of the story.
Now what do emotions have to do with it?
You don't need to call the doctor because we will tell you what else is the "medicine" to achieve viral content. Emotions! Yes, all of us in marketing like to point out that people like emotions and that content that evokes some feelings in the user is best received, but we can't help but wonder which emotions are good and which are bad. After all the research we have done for you already mentioned, we have come to the conclusion that the key is - excitement. Excitement is the so-called god of emotions, and it can be at a high or low level, both positive and negative. A high level of excitement generates shares, likes, comments, and views. And even though on TikTok, 70-80% of the content arouses positive excitement in the viewers, it doesn't really matter to us whether the excitement is positive or negative as long as it is at a high level. Why? If someone watches any TikTok video and thinks, "OK, this isn't bad," they won't send it to their friends, or like it, which means you won't get views or increase sales. We could call this satisfaction on the positive side of emotions, and this is something that brands do - they create content that appeals to them, but no one else. On the negative side of emotions, we will find sadness, and the situation is the same: if your content makes the audience sad, they will no longer share, like, or watch. The secret to success on TikTok is, therefore, creating content that causes a high level of excitement. First, it can be a kind of awe, that is, achieving the "WOW" effect: "This room looks amazing," "This transition is phenomenal." Then, there is excitement and impatience, especially in storytelling videos when viewers have to wait to learn something. And finally, there is humor. If you can't make your audience laugh on social media, you're automatically 50% less likely to engage with them in any way. On the negative side of high arousal levels are anger and anxiety, but awakening these emotions is never recommended. Yes, this kind of content may bring traffic, but also a lot of negative reactions.
Summary: How to create a video?
Now that we know all this, it's time to shoot! First, let go of the idea that you need to have an idea. Instead, the only idea you need is an idea of what topic to analyze. Identify the problem. Google possible solutions for the same and connect them with your brand - because it is one of the solutions. Define the structure of the video according to the tips above, and - go to implementation! Analyze TikTok. Which videos are viral, what is "spinning" on the For You page, and what are the dominant trends? "Catch the wave"; use the same format to present your brand in an interesting way. Finally, you can approach the solution to a particular problem through your insights and conclusions. Share them through the aforementioned viral video structure and watch the number of views (and followers) grow!
The smartpoint adria team has long been aware of the importance of the video form and creates content that you've probably already seen on #fyp. Therefore, if you are still not sure where to start or if you wonder if the path you have imagined is the right one, write to nikola.jagodic@smartpoint.rs. And we are more than happy to help!
Tips prepared by: Nikola Jagodić, digital BDM, smartpoint adria
Photo: Canva